Dental Laboratories need to differentiate themselves and their services by being a collaborative resource to their doctors. Determining how to best do so is a more difficult challenge. One way to drill down on what you can assist and provide value is the adage of, ‘put yourself in their shoes.’ As a laboratory owner, do you struggle with staffing shortages? Do you not have enough time in the day? Do you find yourself taking on more responsibilities? You aren’t alone; dentists struggle with those very same issues.
The American Dental Association’s (ADA) Health Policy Institue (HPI) released their Economic Outlook and Emerging Issues in Dentistry report last fall and internal staffing shortage continues to be a concern leaving an impact on dentist workload. More than 1,000 dentists were surveyed in the October 2023 edition of HPI’s “Economic Outlook and Emerging Issues in Dentistry” poll.
In 2023, 51.7 percent of dentists were concerned about staffing shortages, an increase of 7.8 percent from 2022.
More than one-third of dentists reported they were actively recruiting dental hygienists and assistants.
93.6 percent found it extremely challenging to recruit dental hygienists and 86 percent found it difficult to recruit dental assistants.
29 percent of dentists responded that trouble filling vacant staff positions prevented their appointment schedule from reaching 100 percent.
64 percent reported that their practice changed the way workload was divided among dentists and staff since the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes 49.7 percent of dentists stating they were doing more hygienist/assistant/admin duties, 14.9 percent reported increased responsibilities and maximizing qualifications for clinical staff, and 8.8 percent had increased workload for all staff and were working longer hours.
Once you truly embrace an empathetic mindset it will be easier to come up with creative ways to be that invaluable resource.
>MORE THAN 1,000 DENTISTS WERE SURVEYED
Economic Outlook and Emerging Issues in Dentistry | American Dental Association
NADL
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Tallahassee, FL 32303
www.nadl.org
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Mission
Creating a vibrant dental laboratory profession through increasing industry awareness, building community and delivering critical resources.
Vision
Leading the dental laboratory community in our integreal role of delivering oral health care.
This article was originally published in the March 2024 issue of the Journal of Dental Technology.
